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Running AMac on a Windows tablet

In the past, there were limited choices of tablet computers running Microsoft Windows, generally in the price range $700 and up. Now, you can get models for less than $100. A user recently asked whether the Accompaniment Machine will run on a small Windows tablet, so I decided to check it out.

As of April, 2018, there are two low-price choices on Amazon: the Nuvison 8″ at about $70 and the RCA Cambio 10″ at about $100. Besides the larger screen, the RCA device includes a detachable keyboard, a built-in stand and a real USB port to supplement the standard micro port. This was a major decision point for me because of the need to attach a keyboard. True, you can buy an OTG USB hub for the smaller tablet, but it’s not possible to charge the tablet and use the USB functions at the same time.

I purchased the RCA tablet and also a utility kit that included a USB hub, wireless mouse and HDMI cable. Figure 1 shows the RCA tablet (with keyboard detached) running AMac in Windows 10. The hub attached on the left accommodates the mouse adapter, the keyboard connection and a USB stick with MIDI files. Installation of the Yamaha keyboard driver was no more difficult than on any Windows computer.

The Accompaniment Machine is ideally suited to this type of computing environment. It was designed to make efficient use of CPU resources as well as screen area. We have run the program successfully on an old Windows NT HP Netbook, so there are no problems on this relatively powerful machine. The program display fits nicely on the tablet (1280 x 800 resolution). From the beginning, AMac featured control by screen buttons rather than menus. This means that you can invoke all performance functions by single touches without the need to navigate menus or raise the popup keyboard. Alternatively, the program can be controlled with the wireless mouse. The tablet runs all of our software, including Pancho.

The RCA tablet provides extraordinary functionality for the price. It’s a nice choice for a portable performance vehicle, and it wouldn’t be a financial tragedy if it got rained on or lost. In addition to music applications, I plan to use it as a business computer for travel. It can run all my standard applications (e.g., OpenOffice). With the addition of a $20 micro SD card, you can raise the built-in storage to 96 GB.